Obama: Yeah, My Campaign Ads Sometimes Go Overboard

There are two stories surrounding Obama’s interview with CBS News. The first is goes thusly

(CNN) President Barack Obama discussed his frustration with gridlock in Washington, saying his “biggest disappointment” in his nearly four years in office has been the failure to oversee change in the nation’s political climate.

“My biggest disappointment is that we haven’t changed the tone in Washington as much as I would have liked,” Obama said in a CBS News interview that aired Sunday.

Asked if he bears any blame for the stalemate, Obama said the buck stops at his desk.

“I think that, you know, as president I bear responsibility for everything, to some degree,” he said on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”

You have to truly love how he hedges his bets with the “to some degree”. Yet, as the Weekly Standard points out, just last week his biggest disappointment was not getting immigration reform done. And, let’s not forget it was also the DREAM Act vote. And his messaging being off. And not explaining things properly to the American People.

On the same CBS program Sunday, Romney agreed the problem ultimately falls on the president’s shoulders and offered his own approach to resolving the partisan impasse.

“Leadership is not just working with your own party, but working with both parties. And I learned that. I was governor of a state with a legislature 87 percent Democrat,” Romney said. “I realized I was going to get nothing done unless I had a relationship— a respect, and trust with— with the members of the— of the opposition party.”

Obama came in to Washington and said “I won.” He insulted John McCain, he refused to engage with Republicans. Heck, in a lot of cases he refused to engage with Congressional members of his own party, including Pelosi and Reid. Say what you want of those two, but, they have been there for basically forever, and in Washington circles that means they should get some respect. They weren’t accorded respect by Obama and his team.

Anyhow, there was something that was missing from the broadcast version of the interview

(The Blaze) In the clip, Kroft tells Obama that fact-checkers have taken issue with both candidates’ ads. When explaining that some of Obama’s ads are misleading, Kroft also questioned whether these false statements to the American people are disturbing to the president. The response was fascinating.

“Do we see sometimes us going overboard in our campaign, are there mistakes that are made, areas where there is no doubt somebody could dispute how we are presenting things?,” Obama asked. “You know, that happens in politics.”

“Aren’t the American entitled to the truth? Or a better version of it?,” Kroft countered.

Perhaps realizing he had gone a bit too far in his admission, Obama steered away from the subject of campaign lies and turned the conversation back to a discussion about America’s future.

Said unaired clip is available over at The Blaze. And it is fascinating to watch and hear Barack Obama, the so-called POTUS, say that going overboard and lying in campaign ads is A-OK, it’s just politics, it happens, then realize that he committed a “Democratic Gaffe”, which is when a Democrat tells the truth. Yet, it is strange that CBS failed to air this portion on TV. One would think that a news organization would salivate when it comes to a politician admitting such things, “particularly when it’s a candidate who has prided himself on truth and transparency.”